Don’t count on it, judging from Jesse Kelly’s refusal to respond to the the Star’s editorial board invitation to take part in a series asking  Congressional District 8 candidates to share their thoughts on leadership and related topics.

Submitting written responses to softball questions doesn’t seem so threatening or difficult. If his campaign team wants to avoid that I imagine it’s because they’d much prefer to let the Republican party machine do Kelly’s ‘debating’ for him.

I haven’t forgotten Green Party candidate Charlie Manolakis, who would certainly profit from debate exposure with Barber and Kelly, but without all three candidates participating I doubt we’ll see a debate.

Read the Star feature.

Well, it looks like we have…at least temporarily…by returning the billions of dollars Congress made it pay forward into its retirement program.

I cannot understand this obsession with the notion that the United States Postal Service show a profit. We don’t ask the armed services to to show a profit and we don’t ask them to take a portion of their annual budget and pay it forward into the military pension program.

The establishment and maintenance of a national postal service is a mandate of the US Constitution. (Article 1, Section 8, Clause 7) If you entertain some fevered conservative dream of starving it into non-existence and handing its functions over to a private corporation you might ask whether that would be possible without amending the Constitution. Or whether you’d even want to do that.

In many small communities across the country the post offices function as community centers, a place where neighbors meet and exchange the time of day when they pick up their mail. It would be a shame to lose them.

One stamp sends my card or letter across the street or across the country. Federal money well spent. Can’t always say that for our imperial military engagements.

Postal Clause + Analysis Here

Star reader David W Gallagher recently commented in the Letters to The Editor on the brouhaha about Ann Romney’s job status. He concluded:

“I find it interesting that when a poor woman seeks welfare and other aid to assist her in the raising of her children; she is described as not working and in need of a job. When a fortunate woman stays at home to raise her children, she is described as working hard.”

Right on, Mr. Gallagher.

Letter here.